__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phelps Health
Building the pipeline
Workforce shortages may shape the future of rural healthcare more than anything else. Like many healthcare leaders, Jason sees physician and nursing shortages as defining challenges for the next decade. That’ s why he’ s advocated for rural residency programs and why Phelps Health keeps investing in its own physician training pipeline.
Building a physician pipeline takes years, but the workforce shortage won’ t wait.“ Our first cohort isn’ t going to start until 2028. It would be much more enticing for us and for others if there were real incentives.”
A single residency program will help, but it won’ t solve rural healthcare’ s staffing crisis.“ The pipeline isn’ t big enough today, and it’ s only going to fall further behind. We need more urgency around creating funding incentives for organizations to build these programs.”
Retention matters just as much. Several years ago, the organization started a wellness committee with physicians, clinical staff,
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